Albert Suárez Bio
Albert Joe Suárez Subero, born on October 8, 1989, is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher currently in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has built a long professional journey that has taken him from the lower levels of affiliated baseball in the United States to the highest stages in Asia and back to Major League Baseball. Suárez first reached the majors with the San Francisco Giants in 2016 and later added stints in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and in the KBO League with the Samsung Lions.
He is most widely recognized for an improbable 2024 comeback season with the Baltimore Orioles, during which he returned to a major league mound for the first time in nearly seven years. Beyond his pitching résumé, Suárez is also known as the older brother of Major League pitcher Robert Suárez, making the pair one of the more prominent Venezuelan sibling combinations in the game.
Albert Suárez Early Life and Background
Albert Joe Suárez Subero was born on October 8, 1989, and grew up in Venezuela, a country long celebrated for producing major league pitching talent. From a young age, he gravitated toward pitching, and his development followed the path taken by many of his countrymen who pursue careers in North American professional baseball. His full name reflects the family tradition that has stayed with him throughout his professional life.
Suárez comes from a baseball family, as his younger brother, Robert Suárez, also became a Major League pitcher. Watching Robert’s progress reportedly reinforced Albert’s commitment to the sport, even as injuries and roster moves pushed him between organizations. The brothers’ parallel careers have made the Suárez surname a familiar one in international pitching circles.
Path to Major League Baseball
Suárez entered professional baseball on July 2, 2006, when he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as an international free agent out of Venezuela. He began his official career in 2008 with the rookie-level Princeton Rays, posting a 3.92 ERA with 37 strikeouts across 11 games. He climbed through the Rays’ system, working his way from short-season ball to full-season leagues, and the Rays added him to their 40-man roster in November 2010 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
By 2012, Suárez had reached High-A Charlotte, and he later moved up to Double-A Montgomery. After electing free agency and re-signing, he joined the Los Angeles Angels’ system in November 2014 and enjoyed a breakthrough minor league season in 2015, going 11–9 with a 2.98 ERA and a career-high 121 strikeouts for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. That performance earned him a 2015 Texas League Mid-Season All-Star selection and set the stage for his first major league opportunity.
Albert Suárez Career
Early Career (2008–2015)
Suárez’s development years were defined by steady movement through the Rays’ farm system, where he posted strong strikeout numbers at multiple levels and reached Double-A by 2013. After spending 2014 split between High-A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery, he signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels. His 2015 campaign with Arkansas was the high point of this stretch, as he combined a 2.98 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 27 starts to earn a Texas League All-Star nod and put himself on the major league radar.
Released into free agency, Suárez signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants in November 2015, beginning the path that would eventually deliver his first big league call-up. He opened 2016 with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and his performance there convinced the Giants to bring him to the majors in early May.
San Francisco Giants Era (2016–2017)
Suárez made his major league debut on May 8, 2016, throwing one scoreless inning in relief against the Colorado Rockies. Three days later, on May 11, he earned his first major league win, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 13th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays by inducing José Bautista to pop out. He made his first big league start on June 1, 2016, against the Atlanta Braves, notching his first major league hit and RBI on an infield single off Ian Krol. He finished his rookie season with a 3–5 record and a 4.29 ERA across 22 appearances.
His 2017 season was more difficult, as he logged an 0–3 record and 5.12 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 18 appearances. The Giants non-tendered Suárez in December 2017, only to re-sign him to a minor league deal days later. He was then selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2017 Rule 5 draft, but he spent the 2018 season in Triple-A Reno and elected free agency that October.
Tokyo Yakult Swallows Era (2018–2021)
On December 12, 2018, Suárez signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball, beginning the most successful stretch of his career. He posted a 1.53 ERA with 12 strikeouts in four appearances in his first NPB season and followed it up in 2019 with a 4–4 record, 2.67 ERA, and 52 strikeouts across 67⅓ innings. His time with the Swallows reached its high point in 2021, when he was part of a Japan Series championship team, cementing his status as a proven international pitcher.
Samsung Lions Era (2021–2023)
On December 7, 2021, Suárez signed with the Samsung Lions of the KBO League, and he immediately became a rotation cornerstone. In 2022, he went 6–8 with a 2.49 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 173⅔ innings across 30 games, including 29 starts, demonstrating the durability that had eluded him in earlier years. He re-signed with Samsung for 2023 on a one-year, $1.3 million contract, but injuries limited him to 19 starts, where he went 4–7 with a 3.92 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 108 innings.
A left calf injury kept him out for roughly a month, and the Lions released him on August 10, 2023. Despite the abbreviated finish, his two-year KBO run had showcased his ability to handle a heavy starting workload in a demanding foreign league.
Baltimore Orioles Era (2024–Present)
Suárez signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on September 15, 2023, and opened 2024 with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He was added to the major league roster on April 17, 2024, and struck out the first batter he faced that day, marking his first big league appearance since September 26, 2017. He went 5⅔ shutout innings in that outing and added another 5⅔ scoreless frames in a 4–2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on April 22, earning his first MLB win since June 23, 2016, a 2,860-day gap that ranks as the second-longest between MLB wins since the 1950s.
He opened the regular season at 9–7 with a 3.70 ERA, 108 strikeouts, and a career-high 133⅔ innings. A scoreless-start streak ended on August 24 when José Altuve hit a leadoff homer in a 3–2 win over the Houston Astros. In 2025, Suárez made one early appearance before a right shoulder injury sent him to the injured list on March 30; he was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 7 and activated on September 1. He finished 2025 at 2–0 with a 2.31 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 11⅔ innings in five games before right elbow discomfort in a September 14 start in Toronto ended his season. Baltimore non-tendered him on November 21, 2025, making him a free agent, and he re-signed with the Orioles on a minor league contract on December 17, 2025.
Albert Suárez Driving Style and Strengths
Suárez has built his career on command, durability, and the ability to absorb innings in starting roles. His international stints with the Swallows and Lions underscored his capacity to thrive as a workhorse, while his 2024 Orioles campaign showed he can eat up length and keep his team in games with low-scoring starts. He has also demonstrated the temperament to handle high-leverage relief situations, including a 13th-inning escape act in his first MLB win with the Giants.
Albert Suárez Notable Events and Milestones
His most striking milestone came in 2024, when the 2,860-day gap between MLB wins ranked as the second-longest since the 1950s, trailing only Travis Blackley’s 2,906-day span. Other signature moments include his Japan Series championship with the Swallows in 2021, his 173⅔-inning workload with Samsung in 2022, and his three consecutive scoreless starts during the 2024 Orioles season.
Albert Suárez Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Baseball runs deep in the Suárez family, as Albert’s younger brother, Robert Suárez, is also a Major League pitcher. The Venezuelan siblings have both built their careers in international leagues, including stints in Asia, before returning to the majors, a rare parallel that has drawn attention from fans and media alike.
Personal Life
Public details about Suárez’s personal life remain limited. He is known to share a close bond with his brother Robert, and he has continued to focus on his pitching career as he navigates free agency and re-signs with the Orioles organization.
Albert Suárez 2025 Season Performance
Suárez’s 2025 season was defined by health setbacks rather than performance. He opened the year on the major league roster but went on the injured list on March 30 with right shoulder inflammation, was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 7, and was activated on September 1. In his return outing, he delivered two shutout innings to close out a 6–2 win over the San Diego Padres, providing an early reminder of the form that had made his 2024 campaign so effective.
His lone start of the year came on September 14, an 11–2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in which he exited with right elbow discomfort and was placed back on the injured list the following day. He finished the year at 2–0 with a 2.31 ERA, 10 strikeouts, and 11⅔ innings across five games. After being non-tendered on November 21, 2025, he re-signed with the Orioles on a minor league contract on December 17, 2025, leaving the outlook for his next major league opportunity tied to his recovery and Baltimore’s rotation plans.